DIY: 5 Easy Ways to Prettify an Ugly Couch with a Cheap Doormat

You love your couch – it’s comfy and you can’t let it go. You see the thinning fabric and the sagging cushion, but you don’t have the heart (or the budget) to have it upholstered right now. I’ll let you in on a secret: There are 5 easy ways a cheap doormat can prettify an old or ugly couch!

I know, a doormat, of all things! But you’ll be surprised how it actually works.

Accident by design and design by accident

I discovered this by accident. I went to visit a mall near my new apartment a couple of days ago and I decided to do a little shopping. I really couldn’t afford expensive furniture and décor, which was why I decorated my living room on a budget in the first place (Spoiler: I actually saved PhP40,000 while furnishing my living room).

That was why I was so happy when I saw a few doormats with fresh, interesting colors. I also loved how the material used was much softer than those used in many other doormats I’ve seen in the past. Here’s the clincher: They cost less than PhP140 (about $3) each!

This doormat is worth under PhP150 (less than $3). I just love its texture!

I purchased a couple of those doormats. I remember reading somewhere that when you find something you really like but you’ve got no place for it at home, buy it anyway. If you really love it, you’ll find a place for it soon enough.

To be honest, I didn’t know exactly where to put them at first. They didn’t have anti-slip backing – with my cat always running around the apartment, I couldn’t risk placing the doormats on the floor.

I remember reading somewhere that when you find something you really like but you’ve got no place for it at home, buy it anyway. If you really love it, you’ll find a place for it soon enough.

The epiphany came when I got home. I’ve actually been trying to find a sturdy material – a scarf, a small blanket, anything - to put over my couch because its fabric is starting to thin out. I could almost see the cushion through the fabric, thanks to my cat who always makes it a point to sharpen his claws on the couch.

You can tell what happened next. Let me show you the five ways you can use a cheap doormat to add texture, color, and protection to an ugly or old couch which you can’t part ways with just yet!

5 Ways To Update Your Couch Using A Doormat | DIY

Whichever you choose among these five ways to update an old couch using a doormat, it’s not just a matter of preference. It also depends on what part of your couch needs camouflaging. Are the arms discolored? Is there a stain on the seat? Or do you just find your couch looking a little blah lately?

Try out all five first before deciding on the one that works best for you. Find a doormat with pom-pom ends – they tend to look better on the couch. Happy decorating!

1. Throw it on and tuck it in!

The problem I’ve always had with scarves and blankets thrown over the couch is that they tend to keep relocating themselves. But with doormat idea #1, you can make sure the doormat remains where it should be!

Simply drape it over the couch like so and tuck in one side of the doormat between the cushions. That way, the doormat stays where you want it to.

 

In other words, simply lay it flat on the couch seat! If you love every inch of the doormat you find, you’re going to love doing it this way.

Here’s how it looks up close. The doormat does brighten things up, doesn’t it?

 

If you don’t like sitting on the mat, you can always drape it casually over one arm of the couch. Easy as pie!

Look at it from the side. Doesn’t the doormat make the couch look sleeker?

 

Another simple way to give your couch a new look is to drape the doormat over its back, pom-poms down. Hint: You can choose to do this with a doormat whose patterns you don’t completely love yet don’t completely hate, either!

Here’s how the doormat looks on the couch once the throw pillows are in the mix. The couch does look pretty comfy and inviting this way, doesn’t it?

 

Last but not the least, you can hang the mat over the couch horizontally, with the pom-poms running down the sides. Depending on the pattern on your doormat, it can make your couch look taller or wider!

Here’s how the couch looks when I put couple of throw pillows in there. I normally use an odd number of throw pillows, but I wanted to show the frilly pom-pom ends of the mat so I refrained from adding a third.

Right now, I’m using the first method out of necessity – my couch’s seat isn’t looking as robust as it used to. How about you, which one is your favorite?

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This is such an easy DIY, isn’t it? If you find other ways of using a doormat to liven up a couch, don’t hesitate to comment. Enjoy freshening up your couch with – of all things – a cheap doormat!